Singing in Kek'chi

In July 2007 our church, Crescent Hill Presbyterian, went on a mission trip to El Estor, Guatemala. Together we studied Spanish to ready ourselves for our trip. We met once a month and of course I got to speak with my students at school. I tell someone to pull up their pants, tuck in their shirt, and put their gum in the trash can. All good phrases when you teach ESL to middle schoolers like I did in Florida, but not so good on a mission trip.

When all of us arrived in El Estor we were all in for a surprise. I wasn't the only one who didn't have enough language skills. None of our group spoke Kek'chi the Mayan indigenous language that is spoken in this region of Guatemala.

We attended services in two different churches. They sometimes sang in Spanish, but for the most part they sang in Kek'chi. At one church they had modern instruments like drums and a keyboard. At another church they had a more traditional instrument, a marimba. Four men played the marimba perfectly synchronized. The pastor of the later church, Gerardo Pop, taught us gringos how to sing Amazing Grace in Kek'chi. When returned to the states we tried to sing Amazing Grace to our own congregation. We figured no one would no if we made a mistake or not.

On this last trip to Guatemala Gerardo was there to meet me. Again he sang in Kek'chi with some of his fellow Presbyterians. It was beautiful (if you drowned out the talking in the background...we were in a metal roofed dining hall which allowed everything to echo). If you listen closely to the Kek'chi you can see how guttural it seems. It reminds me a lot of Arabic. I studied Arabic in college, but have lost most of it since I don't get a chance to use it.

-- Stephanie